


Power

by emmagineif



Series: This is what you wrote [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bullying, Canon Rewrite, Gen, I think I interpreted that differently than was intended, James Griffin (Voltron) Being an Asshole, More like I’m adding internal dialogue to a scene, Power Dynamics, Rivalry, That scene where Griffin confronts Keith and Hunk and is all “you can’t go out there” in season 7, Threats of Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-05
Updated: 2019-01-05
Packaged: 2019-10-04 03:44:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17297117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmagineif/pseuds/emmagineif
Summary: It’s not about protocol— Griffin wouldn’t be standing there, smirking, if this was about protocol.This was about Keith.





	Power

People like it, when they have power over you.

It’s not a new revelation to Keith, by any stretch. Growing up, there were a lot of people who would do that— just stand there and revel in the power they had over you.

Sometimes Keith deserved it.

Adults would punish him, make him run laps, or clean the floor, until he “knew who was in charge around here.” As if Keith didn’t understand authority. As if understanding was the same as respect.

Sometimes he didn’t deserve it.

Most of the time, it was kids. When Keith was the youngest, or the smallest, or the newest, they always tried to tell him that they had power over him. That they could make him do anything they wanted.

They couldn’t.

When Keith was 10, he’d had a foster brother who was sixteen, and interested in knives. He’d found Keith’s blade, and he heated the tip until it was glowing, and he’d held it, half an inch above Keith’s eye, as his knee pressed down on Keith’s diaphragm.

He never did anything. Never physically cut or burned Keith, but that wasn’t the point. The point was that he _could_.

It’s 11 years later before Keith finds someone with a worse threat.

 

See, Keith has always hated group punishment.

He’s never understood the benefit to being punished for something that’s out of his control. He can’t stop Jeremiah from screaming (he’s not entirely sure _Jeremiah_ can stop Jeremiah from screaming), so why does he have to spend the evening in time out as well?

But when Keith got to the Garrison, he finally understood. Because when Keith messes up, the whole class gets in trouble, and they don’t blame the teacher for being unjust.

They blame Keith.

Social ostracism isn’t something that he ever thought he’d be bothered about, and he isn’t really, for the first couple months at the Garrison. But James Griffin never really lets it go.

Keith will admit that he’s not the politest person, that he wasn’t apologetic enough, that he let Griffin egg him on, that he lashed out when he really should have just let it slide, that he rubbed Griffins face in things he really shouldn’t have—

But Keith can’t, for the life of him, figure out what he did to deserve _this_.

 

Because Griffin’s standing between him and Hunks _family_ , and it’s not about Protocol— Griffin wouldn’t be standing there, _smirking_ if this was about protocol. This is about Keith. And if Griffin wants to take it out on him, fine. Take it out on Keith.

But Hunk has nothing to do with this.

Hunk is kind. He’s never done anything to Griffin— but he somehow deserves _this_. Simply for having the audacity to become Keith’s friend. And Keith—

What did he _do_? To make Griffin hate him this _much_. That five years and an apocalypse later, he still feels the need to stand there and lord his power over him.

In the end, Griffin doesn’t stop them. But that wasn’t really the point.

The point was that he could.

When Keith was ten, he taught himself how to hotwire a car, and the State decided he’d do better in a group home than a foster one.

At twenty-one he lets it go.

Their rivalry ends on Griffin’s terms, with Keith owing him a debt, and Keith’s fine with that. They were kids. They were stupid, he doesn’t care anymore.

But he also doesn’t forget. That Griffin was only the bigger man after he got back on top. And that he knows _exactly_ where to press that knife.

**Author's Note:**

> I recognize that the story was framed this way to subvert audience expectations— to make it seem like this was gonna be a big deal, and then fix everything because James isn’t as big a jerk as he could have been.  
> The problem is, in canon, James still chose to confront them that way. To make them think he was gonna stop them— that he was that petty. And Keith isn’t even arguing with him— he’s just resigned to Griffin hating him and taking it out on his friends. Griffin was way too excited to flaunt the power he had over Keith, and even if it wasn’t supposed to come across that way, that’s what they wrote.


End file.
